I was recently asked by a friend what Sparkling wine should I get for New Years… I have a sixty dollar budget. The great news about a sixty dollar budget is there are A LOT of options on what you can pick up. Champagne can get quite expensive. A bottle of Veuve Clicquot (LCBO 386243) is $67.95, and it is very good entry level Champagne. But, you really don’t need to spend that kind of money to pick up a great bottle of wine for New Years. The great thing about Ontario sparkling wine is that it doesn’t have the reputation of French sparkling wine. As soon as you don’t have the word Champagne on the bottle the price comes down significantly. The finest Sparkling wines from Ontario made by Henry of Pelham or Hinterland top out at $45. Featured here are two of my personal favorite Sparkling wines. With your sixty dollar budget you can pick up almost 3 bottles of the Chateau des Charmes Brut. That’s enough talk about money though let’s get to the wines and celebrate the New Year!
note:You can’t call a wine a Champagne unless it’s from the Champagne region in France. All other wines are Sparkling wines and other French Sparkling wines are called Cremant.
2009 Featherstone Joy Premium Cuvée Sparkling Wine – Vintages 310334 – $34.95 – When does a $35 bottle of wine trump a $75 bottle? October 26, 2013. I had a chance to taste this wine next to a couple of very good Champagnes and it wasn’t even close. This could very well be the best Sparkling wine in the province. Aromas of Toast are your first impression in the bottle as you get deeper in the glass you get layers of flavour as they reveal themselves on your tongue like a curtain being pulled. Fruit flavours of Pineapple, Lemon and Lime hit your mouth and then are gone with nice acidity and bubbles cleansing your palate. Buy a few bottles for celebrating and entertaining over the holidays… or be greedy and keep it just for yourself. (from Oct 2013)
Chateau des Charmes Brut NV – LCBO 224766 – $22.95 – This is the best value for a Champagne style wine. It is made with Chardonnay and Pinot Noir and aged on lees for 2-3 years before everything is finished for release. Bright citrus and rising bread are on the nose with crisp lemon and lime and subtle vanilla that is finished with clean acidity. This will be great to toast on its own or you can pair it with anything you might be serving with it.
Here are some links to a few other great Sparkling wines that I have reviewed recently … oh and all of them are under sixty dollars.
2009 Henry of Pelham Cuvée Catharine Carte Blanche Blanc de Blanc – 2012 Tawse Spark Brut – http://tmblr.co/ZZ_vXw1W8if9y
2011 Megalomaniac Bubblehead – 2012 Tawse Spark Limestone Ridge Riesling Sparkling Wine – http://tmblr.co/ZZ_vXw1V1gF1O
2011 Hinterland “Les Etoiles” – http://tmblr.co/ZZ_vXw1QE9ANz
